Chinese food becoming more popular in Mexico City

The ties between Mexico and China are not just economic. They’re also cultural and includes Mexico’s food scene.
The appetite for Mexican-Chinese food is growing as fancy restaurants open in Mexico City fueling a boom in Asian eateries. CCTV Americas Martin Markovits reports.

After a year living and studying as a chef in China, Luis Chiu opened a restaurant called “Asian Bay” in a popular neighborhood in Mexico City.

The Chinese influence he brings to his cooking comes from his parents. He also hopes to change the way Mexicans eat Chinese food in the capital city.

It’s a fusion of cultures as cooks experiment with Mexican ingredients, things like chilies, jicama and certain cuts of meat.

That’s why there you can order rare combinations like beef with asparagus and black bean sauce. These high-end restaurants are becoming more popular.

With Mexico City’s rising middle class, and a foreign-born population that’s doubled between 2000 and 2010, new types of cuisine are entering the market.

And the food is even more prominent in northern Mexico near the U.S. border, in the state of Mexicali, where you can find the largest population of Chinese descent in the country.

There are as many as 200 Chinese restaurants.

Chefs are bringing a Chinese flavor to Mexican palates through the dozens of eateries that are popping up. It’s something that foodies can appreciate as the population in a part of the country becomes more international.